WHAT IS THE BASIS FOR THE CONVERSION OF MY SERVICE CONNECTION TO COMMERCIAL?

LWUA WATER RATES MANUAL

Chapter 3 – Basic Connection Charges of the LWUA Manual on Water Rates and Related Charges includes the Classification of Service Connections, which indicates the conversion factor for each category in Item 4.

Item 5 of the same chapter provides the sub-classification for each Commercial class and their respective conversion factor.

LWUA-APPROVED WATER RATES

LWUA approved the water rates of MWD in 2019. This was implemented in the September billing of the water district. Approved water rates include the rates for each service connection category.

Commercial category rates are based on the Residential rate multiplied by its designated conversion factor.

LIST OF BUSINESS PERMITS

After being provided a list of business permits by the Local Government Unit, the water district was able to reassess the existing service connections in its system and discovered that several connections needed to be recategorized to a Commercial category.

BOARD RESOLUTION

In order to correct the categorization of service connections of the water district, a survey was conducted of all service connections, particularly those included in the list of the LGU of those with business permits.

Board Resolutions No. 3 and 4 were passed authorizing the water district to recategorize the surveyed service connections to their respective Commercial categories.

WHAT ARE THE SUB-CLASSIFICATIONS & THE CONVERSION FACTORS FOR THE DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL CATEGORIES?

COMMERCIAL – 2.0
Rest houses
Hotels, lodges and the likes
Hospitals, whether private or public
Cafeterias managed by cooperatives, corporations, etc.
Ice cream parlors
Beer houses
Bars, night clubs and disco pads
Restaurants
Gasoline stations
Bus stations and/or terminals
CHB and concrete products manufacturers
Theaters
Carenderias
Confectioneries and bakeries
Ice plants
Private schools
Boarding houses
Billiard halls and other games and entertainment places
Any residential user who sells or supplies water to others

COMMERCIAL A – 1.75
Photo services
Dental and medical clinics
Warehouses
Groceries
Gift shops
Offices, including government banks
Drugstores
Wholesale and retail outlets
Furniture shops
Fish and meat stalls in public markets with individual water meters

COMMERCIAL B -1.50
Sari-sari stores
Vulcanizing and repair shops
Other premises utilized for selling foods or services, including premises used for living quarters

COMMERCIAL C – 1.25
Apartments whose owners assume payment of water bills using one central water meter

WHY WAS THERE NO PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE INCREASE IN WATER RATES?

THERE WAS NO WATER RATES INCREASE

The water rates being implemented are still the same water rates that were implemented in September 2019 as per LWUA’s approval. A public hearing was conducted for the water rates increase prior to implementation.

Any increase in your bill is not due to an increase of water rates, but due to the recategorization of your service connection to a Commercial category. Each sub-classification of Commercial service connections has its own conversion factor, which was applied to your reading/bill.

I HAVE A CONCERN REGARDING THE CHANGE IN MY SERVICE CONNECTION CATEGORY, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE WATER DISTRICT

If a customer believes that the service connection should not have been recategorized to a specific category, he or she may visit the water district to file a complaint or contact the water district via +6346-4121575, +63917-5289190 or via padcs.mwd@gmail.com.

The customer may request for the service connection to be resurveyed for validation of their categorization.

NOTICE TO ALL CUSTOMERS WITH SERVICE CONNECTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RECATEGORIZED:

POSTPONEMENT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF RECATEGORIZATION

As per MWD Board Resolution No. 6 – 2021, all recategorization of accounts shall be postponed in light of the existing community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All accounts that have already been billed will be reverted to their previous category and any excess in payment shall be considered as advance payment for their next bill.

Recategorization to Commercial categories shall resume implementation on the June 2021 billing.